A Little Death
by Livie79
Summary: A forbidden love. A code of honor betrayed. There are no winners in this game of Russian roulette, but every empty chamber means another moment together. A moment to feel like they are breathing, to feel like they are human. She sought death, but found him instead. AH ExB
1. Chapter 1

**My one and only disclaimer. I don't own Twilight. This story though? 'Tis mine. **

* * *

**Chapter One**

The lights flickered and popped above the weathered tin-roof overhang. A beautiful woman stepped out of her expensive car, the sleek black sedan a stark contrast to the chipped, peeling paint of the building exterior it was parked beside.

At the other end of the lot, a much less conspicuous car pulled behind the first row of rooms. The door swung open. A man, with equally good looks to the dark haired woman, tugged at the lapels of his trench coat and fitted a heather gray fedora over his slicked back hair.

He scanned the deserted lot with suspicious eyes. He knew better than to believe they were truly alone. Not anymore. When his eyes met those of the dark haired woman, they softened, his posture relaxed. Her smile was small and sad. He expected it. He felt the same sadness.

He moved with slow measured steps, drinking in every inch of her. "Hey," he whispered, his eyes lingering on her lips as he pushed his fingers into her hair, his palms resting against her neck.

The woman's eyes filled with tears as she clutched his wrists. "I was afraid you wouldn't come."

"Isabella, as long as there is a breath left in my body, I will always come to you."

Twin tears rolled over her flawless makeup. "Then you understand why I was afraid."

He pulled himself free from her hair and lifted her hands to his lips. Placing a gentle kiss on each of her palms, he nodded. "Yes. But I'm not done yet. We're not done yet."

"How long?" Isabella asked, already backing them toward room 34.

Edward shrugged and dropped his gaze, unable to stand the thought of watching her beautiful face crumble when he answered. "Hours at most."

He felt Isabella stiffen, but she made no sound. When he looked up, her eyes were dry and her expression was determined. It was clear that she refused waste a moment of their last night together crying about circumstances neither of them could change. Their fate had been sealed a long time ago.

"Then let's make the most of it."

* * *

**A/N**

**Sup y'all. This is something I wrote for Julie for her b-day. Ooza looked it over because I refuse to post a word without her eye. It's a drabble. It'll be short. The entire thing should be posted before the weekend is over. I hope you like it!**

**See ya soon!**

**~Liv**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

A man sat impassively in a penthouse hotel room, halfway across the country from where Isabella and Edward shared a passionate kiss. His chair creaked as he leaned forward and rested his elbows on a large mahogany table. Sweeping his gaze briefly over the other three men seated at the table, he paused when his eyes landed on the fourth chair, the empty chair.

"Are they together?"

"Yeah, Boss. Mikey tailed Eddie. Isabella was already waiting."

The man stood from the table and nodded. "Call my car and get the jet ready." He stopped speaking when a leggy blonde strolled out of the bedroom, her messy hair piled high on her head. "On second thought," he smirked. "Give me an hour."

Grabbing the blonde, he pushed her into the bedroom and turned to the men rising from their seats. "Make sure Mikey knows, no one leaves that hotel room tonight. Not alive anyway."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

Edward swept his tongue along the column of Isabella's throat, losing himself in the taste of her skin and the warmth of her body. She arched into him, her nails digging into his shoulders as she fought to pull him closer. With a shaky exhale, he ghosted his finger over her collarbone to the hollow of her throat. At a tortuously slow pace he moved lower, freeing each button of her silk blouse from its confines.

They didn't notice the stale smell of cigarette smoke hanging in the air, the hum of the air conditioner, or the sedan sitting across the street outside. None of those things mattered anyway, not when this would be their last night together.

"I love you," she whispered.

"I know, baby. But don't start saying goodbye to me. Not yet."

Isabella groaned, the sound anguished and broken. Wrapping her hands around the fabric of his shirt, she ripped the material apart. Buttons flew across the room and landed harmlessly on the floor. "Sometimes I wish you would have let me do it," she confessed, dragging her nails down his chest. "Back then I didn't know what love was. I had nothing to lose."

Edward swore under his breath and his eyes slid shut as the memory of meeting Isabella flashed through his mind. The image of her sobbing and bleeding on the bathroom floor would be seared into his mind for as long as he lived. He'd almost lost her before they even had a chance to begin. It was the same day he swore his life to Emmett Cullen, then stabbed him in the back by falling love with his wife.

"But I knew. I knew the moment I laid eyes on you. I couldn't let you go. I still can't. I'm too fucking selfish."

"Then don't. Hold me until the world goes dark."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

"Any change?"

"No, Boss. Mikey says they're still inside. Do you think they might have given him the slip? It seems strange for them to be there so long."

Emmett's teeth ground together as he considered the number of times his wife had fucked one of his best guys. Months? Years? He shook his head and looked at the gun in his hand. They were still inside. He knew they were.

"She doesn't know I'm coming home. She thinks I'll be gone another week." Downing the rest of his drink, he fastened his seatbelt. "Oh, how I'm going to make them suffer."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

"I'm so sorry I couldn't save you." Edward brushed the hair away from her face as he backed them toward the bed. His chest ached as his heart rebelled against his mind. It was the part of him that ran purely on instinct. The part that wanted to protect her, keep her safe. But his mind knew better. To run would only cause more pain, more sorrow.

They would never escape. There was nowhere they could go that Emmett couldn't find them. Every plan they'd ever come up with ended with their blood seeping into ground. When Isabella overheard Jasper and Carlisle, drunk and obnoxious, betting how Isabella and Edward would die and who would go first, she knew it was over.

"Don't you see? I was never meant to be saved, just set free. You did that. And after tonight, we'll never be apart again." Isabella looked at the rings wrapped around her finger. Huge diamonds glinted in the weak light filtering through the slightly parted drapes. Gripping the rings with her other hand, she slid them from her finger and dropped them to the floor. "Starting now, I don't belong to anyone but you. Now, I want you to fuck me before we make love one last time."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

Mikey jerked at the sound of metal tapping against glass. He narrowed his eyes at the man on the other side of the window. "Benny! Get the fuck in here and quit messing around. You want to draw attention to us and piss off the boss?"

Benny's eyes darted over his shoulder before he slipped into the passengers seat of the car. "Sorry, Mikey. I was just foolin around."

"Kind of inappropriate considering why we're here. Don't you think?"

Benny nodded and looked down at his hands. "Yeah."

"Did you do the thing?" Mikey asked, not wanting to dwell on the reason he was sitting in a motel parking lot with a trunk full of rope, knives, acid, and duct tape. He didn't know what the boss had planned, but it wasn't going to be gentle, and Isabella and Edward would not go quickly.

"The guy at the front desk suddenly wasn't feeling so well, know what I mean? He thought maybe he should close up and just go home for the night. I told him that sounded like an excellent idea."

"So we're all set?"

"Yeah. What do we do now?"

Mikey slouched down in his seat and adjusted his hat. "Now, we wait."


	7. Chapter 7

**Ummm...smut warning...**

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**Chapter Seven**

"What do you want?" His pulse throbbed under his skin. He felt desperate, wild. The end wasn't coming, it was already upon them.

Isabella felt it too. She wanted to let go. She wanted to feel the bite of his teeth against her skin. She wanted to hear him speak words that coated her every thought like melted wax when they were together. When she was under him, above him. "I want to hear you. Say what you're feeling. Don't hold back. I want your darkness, your depravity, I want your everything."

Her breath fanned across his skin. Sweat rolled from her chin, sliding down the column of her throat and slipping between her breasts. Edward dropped his head, his tongue darting out and catching the salty liquid as her head fell back and a moan escaped her parted lips.

"Tell me you want me." Edward whispered, his lips never leaving her skin.

"I want every part of you. Consume me."

He flexed his hips. His cock swelled and precome leaked from the tip as his muscles coiled. He felt the heat of her sex and it drove him insane. He kissed his way down her body, sucking her hardened nipple into his mouth and swirling his tongue around the tip before sinking his teeth into her soft flesh.

Isabella's eyes squeezed shut. Her fists balled and her back arched off the bed. "Oh, God."

She dug her heels into the mattress as she tried to escape his mouth. But he had no plans of letting her go. Not when they had so little time left. He licked his way down her abdomen, scraping his teeth over the soft flesh of her hip, loving the feel of his teeth against her bones.

"I can feel your pussy pulsing," he whispered, his lips resting softly over her cloth covered sex. "It thumps in time with your heart. Do you want me that much? Does your body hum for me like mine does for you?"

"I ache for you," she moaned, fisting his hair and pulling his face against her.

"Let me have you," he coaxed, his fingers wrapping around the top of her panties and sliding them down her legs.

"Take me," she exhaled. "Take whatever you want. Take everything. It's always been yours anyway."

Edward groaned and pushed her legs apart, his eyes never straying from where he wanted her most. Dropping his face, he pushed his nose between her lips. Her body jerked when he touched his tongue to her swollen clit. Sliding his hand up her thigh, he slipped two fingers inside her and flattened his tongue over her clit.

Her hands tightened in his hair and a low moan rumbled in her chest. "Baby. Now."

"Soon," He whispered, blowing on her sensitive flesh as he curled his fingers inside her, pushing her closer to the edge. "Do you want to come, Isabella?"

"So much," she panted, her voice strained.

"Do you trust me to give you what you want?" He murmured, his heart pounding.

She hesitated for only a moment. "Yes."

He pulled his hand away and dropped his mouth to her opening, thrusting his tongue inside. She was hot, salty, and wet. She was fire and ice. Heaven. She was destruction and redemption. She was everything. He replaced his tongue with his fingers, coating them in her arousal before dragging them down her sex to her ass. He pressed against her, her body tensing with fear.

"Let me," he whispered, pressing his lips to her thigh in a gentle kiss. "Trust me," he coaxed, dragging his tongue up the length of her sex as his finger pushed into the place she feared. She cried out, her hands fisting his hair and halting his motions.

"Do you want me to stop?"

Her chest rose and fell heavily before she shook her head, hesitant and unsure. "I've never done this before. This will be something only we have shared."

"Neither have I," he confessed. "But I want everything with you before this is over."

"I want that, too. So much. Keep going. Show me. Make me forget everything else."

Edward tried to push her words from his mind. He didn't want to think about the outside the world either. He didn't want to think about never seeing another sunrise. He just wanted to lose himself in her. Not wanting to waste another moment, he sucked her clit into his mouth. He fucked her pussy with his tongue and her ass with his finger. He filled her in every way, claimed a part of her that she hadn't shared with anyone. When she cried for him to stop, when her muscles bunched and tensed, he fucked her harder. It wasn't until her walls pulsed and her orgasm coated his tongue that he finally relented.

As she lay panting and spent, he crawled up her body, his tongue dragging up her salty skin. With his teeth latched to her ear lobe, he rocked against her. "You know I'm not done with you, right?"

She wrapped her legs around him, her heels digging into his ass. "I really hope not."

Grinning, he reached down and positioned himself at her entrance. "Hold on, baby. Let's find oblivion."

* * *

***Shifty eyes* ermmm yeahhhh. **


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

Benny groaned and shifted in his seat. "How much longer?"

Mikey exhaled and ran a hand through his hair, his eyes locked on the screen of his phone. "Boss just landed."

Benny's back straightened and his eyes widened. "Is he on his way?"

Mikey shook his head, the motion slow and tired. "He has some things he wants to take care of first. I don't get why he's dragging this thing out. It's not like they even know what's coming. The only people he's torturing right now is us."

"Yeah, well. They'll get what's coming to them soon enough."

Mikey's head snapped toward Benny, his eyes narrowed. "You think Isabella deserves this?"

"You don't," Benny shot back, his tone defensive.

Mikey looked around as if he expected someone else to be close by, to hear his confession. Pinning his eyes shut, he spoke in a hushed voice through a taut jaw. "I don't. I realize admitting that could cause me to end up in a dirt hole right beside her, but I feel the way I feel."

"Why do you care?" Benny narrowed his eyes and leaned away from Mikey, like being close to him was going to implicate him in Mikey's thoughts. "You fucking her too?"

Mikey's hand shot out and gripped the front of Benny's shirt. He yanked him across the seat until their noses were nearly touching. "I would never do something like that," he spat. "But you and I both know that the boss doesn't give a shit about Isabella. She's property to him. Nothing more. Isabella took care of my daughter when she was sick. She's the only mother Katie's ever known. Isabella's a good woman." Mikey pushed Benny away and dropped his head in defeat. Closing his eyes, his voice was barely above a whisper. "So no, I don't believe she deserves this."

Benny's shoulders relaxed and his face smoothed into a neutral mask. "Then why are you here?"

Again, Mikey looked around the car before answering. "I pledged my life to Emmett. If he wants me somewhere, that's where I'll be."

"Why don't you tell her? Go in there right now, tell Eddie and Isabella that the boss is on his way?"

Mikey chuckled. "Wouldn't change anything. They're both going to die. Today. Tomorrow. Next week. It's going to happen. There's nothing I can do to change that."

"I'm sorry, Mikey. It's tough to watch someone you like die, but it's all part of the job."

"It is. I accepted that a long time ago. But if I can lessen her pain in any way, I will."

"How so?"

"Whatever he asks me to do―and he will ask me to do something, I wouldn't be here otherwise―I'll do it quickly. I won't make her suffer."

Benny shook his head and looked at the dimly lit window in front of them. The sun had begun to set and the exterior lights were flickering on. "I wouldn't want to be in your shoes."

With a sigh Mikey grabbed his cigarettes and pulled one from the pack. Flicking his lighter, he touched it to the end and took a long pull before exhaling heavily, causing smoke to billow into the car. "It's not me I'm worried about."


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

Edward pulled Isabella against his side and wrapped her in his arms. "Are you hungry?" he whispered, his lips brushing her hair.

Draping her arm across his chest, she rested her head over his heart. He could feel it pounding against his ribs, each thump like the tick of a clock's second hand, racing toward the end, a drum beat countdown. He wondered if it was as loud to her as it was to him.

Isabella remained quiet as she drew patterns over his skin with the tip of her finger. Each breath she took was slow and steady, almost as if she was having to force herself to drag air into her lungs. The silence that hung in the air felt alive; intrusive and heavy. It wasn't long before it became too much for Edward to bear.

"Isabella?"

He felt the warmth of her tears against his skin only moments before she responded in a choked cry. "I don't want to eat. I don't want to do anything that pulls me away from you, not even for a second."

Edward's muscles clenched. "Baby."

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry," she chanted as Edward sat up and turned her toward him. Covering her face, she dropped her head to his chest. "I wanted to be strong for you. I didn't want to be sad or waste our time together, but I'm scared. I'm so scared. I don't know what he's going to do or if I'll ever see you again. What if we're wrong? What if there's nothing on the other side and this is it? We've both done terrible things. What if there is no peace for us?"

"Shhh, Isabella, stop." He lifted her head and tugged at her hands. "Look at me. Please."

Isabella sucked in a sharp breath and dropped her hands in defeat. "I'm sorry."

"Stop apologizing. You have nothing to be sorry about. I don't need you to be strong for me. Isabella―" Edward cradled her jaw and forced her to look him in the eye. "―it's okay to be scared. Do you think I'm not terrified?" Dropping a hand to her chest, he pressed his palm flat over her heart. "Every time I think about never feeling your pulse against my palm again I want to run. I want to snatch you up and run as fast and as far as I can."

"I don't want to live like that. I don't want to look over my shoulder for the rest of my life. I don't want to start a family with you knowing that any day he could find us. I can't."

"Baby, I know. I understand. But that doesn't mean you can't be afraid. You and me?" He smiled and leaned forward, his lips feather-light against hers. "We're meant to be. Whatever there is after this life, we'll see it together. We'll be together. Heaven or Hell, I'm wherever you are."

With a shake smile, Isabella wrapped her arms around his neck and swung her leg over his hips. "Yeah," she gasped, nodding. "Wherever I am."

"Wherever you are."

Isabella looked toward the window where the soft rays of the fading sun had been replaced with a harsh fluorescent glare. "We don't have much time."

"No," Edward murmured, his gaze drifting to his phone. "We don't."

"Then make love to me. One last time."

Edward swallowed and clutched the hem of her shirt in his hands. Sliding it up her body, he squeezed his eyes shut to pull himself together. "One last time."


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

Emmett looked around his bedroom and inhaled deeply. The scent of Isabella's perfume coated him from the inside out. He stepped to their dresser and dragged his finger over the top of the bottles covering the surface. It was littered with perfume, makeup, lotion, all the things she used every morning after her shower. He thought about how she smelled, how it had always intoxicated him. How it made his heart thump and his body tighten with need.

He'd wanted her from the moment they'd met. He remembered when their fathers called a truce between their families. How they agreed their children would marry and unite their powerful families. Everyone was ecstatic, even him.

But he wasn't a one woman man. He loved women, many women, and Isabella never understood that. To Emmett, it was her only flaw. He couldn't grasp why showering her with money and jewelry wasn't enough. But she fought him. She expected a level of commitment he had no intention of giving her. That didn't mean he would allow her the same liberties. She was his property. She didn't get to embarrass him. She didn't get to fuck his number one guy. And she sure as fuck didn't get to live after doing so.

With a final glance around the room, he pulled on his jacket and headed toward the front door. "You brought this on yourself, Isabella."


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven**

Lips dragged across skin. Hips rocked together, body to body, heartbeat to heartbeat, soul to soul. Hands gripped sweat-slicked skin as hushed words of love were whispered with every touch, each panting breath. Every kiss was an apology, every moan a tortured reminder that their love was doomed, their time together a ticking clock.

His lips kissed away her sins. Hers thanked him for a love she was never meant to have. A life she was never meant to live. When they collapsed together, spent and broken, there was nothing left but the end.

Edward pushed the sweaty hair from her forehead and smiled softly. "I love you."

"I'm tired," she whispered, her eyes heavy.

"Is there anything you want? Anything at all?"

Isabella's eyes shifted to the bathroom, her heart stuttering in her chest as she sucked in a deep breath. "Will you take a bath with me?"

Edward's stomach sunk when he looked at her. She looked desperate, but also resolved. Determined. "Why?"

"You know why."

Panic seized his chest. He gripped her arms, his eyes wide. "No, Isabella."

"Yes."

"We talked about this. I can't, don't ask me to."

"We don't have a choice."

"We always have a choice."

Isabella looked out the window, her eyes landing on the sedan parked across the street. "Do we?"


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve**

Mikey jumped when his phone rang. With shaky hands, he answered the call. "Boss?"

"Are we all set?"

Mikey looked at the hotel door that lead to Isabella and Edward and with a trembling voice, he answered. "Yeah, Boss. They're here."

Silence filled the line, and for a moment Mikey thought Emmett was going to change his mind. That he was going to call the whole thing off. That Mikey would be able to go home, kiss his daughter, and tell her that Isabella was still going to take her shopping for new school clothes. But when Emmett spoke, Mikey knew that was a fool's dream. In the world of the mafia, in a life of crime, there were never any happy endings.

"Good. I'll be there in half an hour. Be ready."


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen**

Edward moved to the window and pulled back the drape a fraction. The moment his eyes landed on the sedan parked across the street his stomach dropped. He knew they'd been found out. He knew they were coming for them. But knowing and seeing it first hand were two different things.

"They're watching us."

"I know," Isabella answered. "Is it Mikey?"

Edward backed away from the window and nodded.

"At least I can have one good feeling about my mother before I die."

"Isabella―"

"No," she interrupted, shaking her head. "Don't defend her. I know you've grown up living this lifestyle the same as me. I know this life runs in your blood, but I don't give a shit about mafia politics. My feelings have never been a priority to my parents. My father handed me over to Emmett without a second thought. His idea of family doesn't extend to me, not unless it benefits him. My mother is no better. I still can't believe she called and warned me about Emmett's call to my father."

"Isabella, I wasn't going to defend anyone. Your own father gave Emmett permission to end your life. How they operate is disgusting. It's money and power above all else. But I'm not going to stand here and say I'm not a little bit grateful. Had she not warned you, we would have been robbed of today." Edward moved to stand in front of her, his arms wrapping around her waist and pulling her close. "I'm thankful for every moment I'm allowed to have with you, regardless of how those moments came to be."

"We can't let him have his way," she pleaded, her fingers locked behind his neck. "He's already won. We're going to die. Don't let him dictate how. Don't let him have everything."

Edward's throat tightened and his eyes burned. "I can't do it, baby. I can't hurt you."

Isabella's nostrils flared and her eyes narrowed with determination. "This should be my choice. For once I want to have a say in my life. Every decision, every circumstance, every opportunity has been ripped away from me. Let me choose this. If I have to die, I want it to be beautiful. I want it to be at the hands of someone I love. I want my murder to be an act of kindness, not with the intent of making me suffer for sins I don't believe I've committed. I was never his."

"Do you realize what you're asking?"

"Can you imagine the alternative? He's going to make you watch me die. He's going to torture me. He could have his men rape me and there wouldn't be anything you could do to stop it. How can you not want to save me, save us, from that kind of pain? I can't watch him kill you, Edward. Please don't ask me to."

"Fuck," Edward spat, his arms tightening around her to the point of pain. Angry tears rolled down his cheeks as he pressed his lips against her forehead. "Tell me you got the files."

Isabella jerked her chin in a small nod. "I got everything. They're all going to pay. Emmett, my father, all of them. Death is too good for them. They're going to rot."

Edward closed his eyes in defeat and swallowed heavily. "I don't know if I can do it."

"Now is not the time to second guess yourself. We don't have the luxury of regrets."

"Look at me," he coaxed, his voice breaking. "Saving you was the greatest thing I've ever done in my life. I love you more than anything in the world."

"And I love you. So much. That's why I'm asking you to save me one last time. Save me from what he has planned. Save us both."

With a tender kiss, Edward dropped his arms and stepped back. "Give me a minute. I'll meet you in there."


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen**

Steam swirled in the air. It coated the mirror in a wet fog as condensation slid down the glass. Isabella's head rested against the back of the tub. Her eyes were closed and her hands floated on the surface of the water. Edward stood in the doorway. His vision blurred when he realized she had slipped on her panties and his undershirt. He understood. She didn't want Mikey and whoever else came with Emmett to see her naked. She wanted to die with as much dignity as possible.

Edward didn't bother to remove his pants or his open button down for the same reason. With a tense exhale, he stepped over the side of the tub and sank into the water at the opposite end. Isabella didn't open her eyes, and to the casual observer they would've thought she was the perfect picture of calm. Edward knew better. He saw the way her pulse pounded at her neck. The way her breaths came in short, gasping pants. His stomach twisted and bile burned the back of his throat as he thought about what he was about to do. When she'd first concocted the idea of killing themselves, of going out their own way, he'd been shocked. But when she told him she didn't want to rely on drugs for fear of them not working, that she wanted to know for certain she would die before Emmett got to her, he threw up.

He couldn't watch the life drain from her body. He couldn't cause her pain or suffering. She'd told him none of that would happen if he drowned her. He'd gotten sick all over again. As naive as it might have been, a part of him had hoped it wouldn't come to this. But they had become careless, sloppy. And now they were going to pay the ultimate price.

"Edward?"

"Yeah?"

Isabella lifted her head and looked at him. Her eyes were sad, but also peaceful. She wasn't having second thoughts. There wasn't a trace of doubt in her expression. "We're out of time."

"I know."

"I'm ready."

Edward ran a hand through his hair and shifted, causing water to spill onto the floor. "I'm not."

"This is the only way. You know that."

"I know."

"Do you have your gun?"

"Yes," he lied, dropping his eyes to the floor. She thought he was going to follow right behind her. That he was going to end both of them before Emmett ever stepped foot in their hotel room. But he had other plans. Edward knew once Emmett realized Isabella was dead he would lose it. Emmett had always had a nasty temper. If Edward knew anything, it was that Emmett didn't like to have his plans fucked with.

Whatever torture Emmett had in mind would be forgotten. His revenge would be swift. But Edward wanted to see it. He wanted to see Emmett's face when he realized he'd lost. He wanted Emmett to see the smile on his face when he died. Because Emmett would get what he deserved in the end. Isabella was right, death was too easy for him. He would spend his days rotting in prison once the FBI launched their investigation into all of the documentation Isabella had given them. It wasn't worth her death, but it was his only consolation now.

"C'mere," she whispered, tugging on his hand.

Edward shifted forward until his knees straddled her legs. He pushed the wet hair from of her face and leaned forward, his lips covering hers. He kissed her with every ounce of emotion in his body, telling her one final time what she already knew. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

Car doors slammed outside, causing Isabella's eyes to widened. "Do it now, Edward. Please. They're here."

Edward hesitated, his breaths choppy and too fast. The room started to spin and his body felt as if it was on fire. Isabella wrapped her fingers around his wrists and pulled his hands to her throat. "Please," she choked. "Don't let him be the one."

It was all Edward needed to hear to snap out of his daze. "I'm so sorry," he whispered as he pushed her face under the water. He squeezed his eyes shut, blocking out the image of his hands around her throat and her hair floating around her face.

Her body jerked the same time he heard the first kick hit the front door. Water sloshed over the sides as her hands flew to the sides of the tub. Her legs kicked and her body writhed as her survival instinct kicked in. Edward's stomach rolled and his eyes flew open when the second blow sounded against the motel door.

When he looked at her face, panicked and afraid, his grip loosened. He couldn't do it. He'd failed to save her in every way possible. It was then that Isabella's body stilled, and her hands fell limply over his, as if she were holding him in place, telling him it was okay. His eyes never strayed from her face as she stilled. She blinked once more as the remaining air trapped in her lungs bubbled from her parted lips.

Her hair floated around her like a halo. She looked calm, at peace. A choked sob tore from his body as he pulled her from the water and clutched her to his chest. "I'm sorry, baby. I love you." He loosened his hold and cradled her face in his hands. "I love you." He kissed her lips, her cheeks, chin and nose, each one with an I love you on his tongue.

The motel door banged against the wall and deep voices echoed around the room. With a final glance, he pressed his lips to her forehead one last time before lowering her back into her watery grave. "I'll be right behind you."

"Son of a bitch," Emmett roared as he stormed into the bathroom. "You fucking bastard!" He reared back and slammed his fist into Edward's face, causing him to fall backward in the water. "You fuck my wife, you disrespect me, and then you kill her! Who the fuck do you think you are?"

Edward chuckled and wiped the blood from his lip as he slowly sat up. "I think I'm the winner, mother fucker."

Edward watched as the blood rushed to Emmett's face and a haze of rage covered his eyes. It was exactly what he wanted. Exactly what he expected. Emmett pulled out his gun and pressed it to the side of Edward's head, his entire body vibrating with anger.

"Who's the winner now?"

Edward looked at Isabella. Reaching down, he swept his thumb over her lips, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth as a single tear rolled down his cheek. "Still me, Emmett. Still me."

The gun exploded before Edward had a chance to pull in another breath. His body went slack as he fell forward, his body covering Isabella's. The water turned red as blood seeped from the wound and filled the tub.

Emmett stared at them with disgust before spitting into the water. Turning away from them, he locked his gaze on Mikey. "Clean this up," he spat pushing his way out of the room.

"What do you want me to do, Boss?"

Emmett looked over his shoulder and shook his head. "Burn 'em both."

"You got it, Boss." Mikey moved to the tub slowly and looked over his shoulder. Once he was certain he was alone, he reached down and pulled the stopper from the tub, his muscles clenching when Isabella's hair brushed against his hand. "You did good, Eddie," he whispered. "She didn't deserve what he had planned. Neither of you did. I hope wherever you two end up that you're together. I'll miss you both."

As Emmett sped out of the parking lot, Agent Jenks gaped at the mounds of papers in front of him. Snatching them off his desk, he sprinted down the hall to his boss's office. Without knocking, he burst inside. "We got 'em," he yelled, dropping the stacks of paper on the desk. "God damn it, we've got 'em."

The man behind the desk stared at papers wide eyed. "Holy shit. Where did you get this?"

"It was just delivered. Came from Isabella Cullen and Edward Masen."

"She turned over her own father."

"And her husband. She just single-handedly brought down her entire family."

"Yes. Yes she did." The man looked at Jenks with a knowing expression as he stood from his chair. "And I'm sure she's paid for it dearly. Let's make sure it wasn't in vain, okay?"

Jenks nodded, his expression solemn. "I won't let you down."

.

.

.

.

.

Isabella Cullen and Edward Masen left this world on a cold, rainy night in November. No missing persons reports were filed, and no memorial services were held. Their bodies were never found. It was as if they never existed. But just like Edward promised, he followed right behind her, and she was there waiting for him.

* * *

**A/N**

**Thank you guys from the bottom of my angst-riddled heart for taking this journey with me. I know it was tragic, it broke me a million times to write it. But once a seed is planted, I can't ignore it. **

**Thanks to Julie, Ooza, and Sara for their support and to Nerdy for the flails and threats. I love you guys, this fandom is my family and you make me smile everyday.**

**For any of you who didn't already think I was sadistic, I made a video to go with this story. It can be found at youtu. be /Jh8qZdcVPfM (just take out the spaces)**

**Until next time...**

**~Liv**


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